Nom sum - Ernest Dowson

Epimone

Speaker saying “I was desolate” emphasizes the speaker's loneliness and wretched mental state after Cynara's departure.

Pathetic fallacy

Depressing atmosphere created by attributing human emotions to nature, as seen when the “dawn was grey” in the poem.

Synecdoche

Refers to the dehumanization of a person by focusing on a specific body part, like the ”kisses” of her “bought red mouth” in the context of a prostitute in the poem.

Hyperbole

Exaggeration used to convey the speaker's intense desire for Cynara's lips, almost in an animalistic manner. “hungry for the lips of my desire”

Personified

desire for her “lips” is assigned a body part therefore it is ____________

Symbolism

lilies are a symbol of death, represents death and mourning in the poem, signifying the loss of the relationship with Cynara.

Metaphor

Cynara's presence described as a “shadow”, symbolizing darkness and her lingering impact on the speaker.

Exclamatory

“There fell thy shadow, Cynara!” - even uttering her name evokes strong emotions from the speaker.

Unconventional form and meter

The poem's structure deviates from traditional love poetry, reflecting the speaker's frantic emotions and unsteady state. Change in pace and rhythm perhaps makes the reader aware of the speaker’s strong frantic emotions, mirrors the speaker’s unsteady state as he roams around getting drunk and living recklessly trying to forget Cynara.

Tense shift

Transition in the final stanza to the present tense emphasizes the enduring pain and heartbreak experienced by the speaker -  “when the feast is finished and the lamps expire”. Loss of cyanara has had a permanent fixture on his life

Unrequited love

Theme explored in the poem, highlighting the speaker's inability to heal or move on from the loss of Cynara.